Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
To ensure that wind power remains a viable energy source, efforts have been made to increase energy outputs by modifying the size and capacity of wind turbines. One such modification has been to increase the length of the turbine blades. However, by increasing the length of the rotor blades, the various other components of the wind turbine are often subjected to increased loads. For example, by increasing the rotor diameter, a significantly larger load is typically transmitted through the tower. As such, it is often necessary to completely replace the existing tower to accommodate the increased loads associated with the longer rotor blades.
In addition, various rotor blades are manufactured with a pre-bend or a tendency to bend at a certain location. Such rotor blades, however, may be more susceptible to striking the tower of the wind turbine, particularly when they have been lengthened. A tower strike can significantly damage a turbine blade and the tower. For example, in certain instances, a turbine blade may strike the tower thereby causing a dent that must be repaired. Damage to the tower can also be caused by a variety of other factors in addition to blade tower strikes, including, for example, foreign objects striking the tower. Typical methods for repairing tower damage involve shutting down the wind turbine and repairing and/or replacing the damaged tower section or, where applicable, the entire tower. Such methods, however, require significant labor, costs, and turbine down time, thereby resulting in a loss of annual energy production (AEP).
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system and method for reinforcing wind turbine towers that addresses the aforementioned issues.